Dunava: Culture on the Daugava

• The Dunavas Sv. Jāzepa Romas katoļu baznīca has been designated by the municipality as a protected cultural and historical site.
• Dunava’s first church was built in 1785.
• A monument to the Daugava raftsmen, created by the sculptor V. Titāns, was unveiled on the banks of the Daugava near Dunava in 1991.

An important point of reference is the former Dunavas muiža. Its origins as an estate date back to the 18th century. Count S. Plāters-Zībergs owned the Dunavas muiža from 1880 to 1912. The Dunavas muiža is part of a longer manor history; however, a completely preserved ensemble no longer survives.

After the war damage, only a 19th-century residential building near the neo-Gothic Catholic church and vaulted cellars remain of the former buildings. For your visit, this means that the Dunavas muiža is encountered mainly through surviving individual traces and its historical context, rather than as a fully preserved complex.

A Jesuit mission operated at the church in Dunava. This detail adds a history of religious use to the building’s architectural and cultural-historical significance. Together with its designation as a protected site, this creates a nuanced view of the church: it is not merely a single building, but also a setting for local history.

At Dunava, the Plostnieku Stone and the former ferry crossing on the banks of the Daugava invite visitors to relax. The term “former ferry crossing” is important here: it refers to a previous function and should not be understood as indicating a current ferry service. The Plostnieku Stone and the ferry crossing therefore provide different points of connection for exploring the river area.

If you would like to compare other destinations in the same travel area alongside Dunava, you can also find Vidsala and Jēkabpils.

What is there to see at the Rainis Museum “Tadenava”?

At the nearby Rainis Museum “Tadenava”, Rainis’s childhood home is used to present his literary legacy interactively. A visit therefore combines a specific historical place with an exploration of Rainis’s literature.

Can the Rainis Museum “Tadenava” be reached by public transport?

The nearest bus stops to the museum are located 9 kilometres away in Dunava and Rubeņi. It is not possible to reach the museum by public transport. This should be taken into account when selecting and ordering your excursion destinations.

What recreational activities are available on the Daugava?

In Dunavas pagasts, recreational activities on the Daugava are offered on the raft “Dunavas ūdensroze”. This is an independent connection to the river and differs from the historical points of reference along the riverbank near Dunava.

For the general travel overview: Jēkabpils.